1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a modular flooring and roadway system. More particularly, the invention relates to the use of modular floor mats which provide increased strength, stability and protection of the subsurface in heavy industrial applications.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heavy duty modular flooring systems of various designs have been utilized for a significant period of time to provide a temporary and rigid surface in remote or inaccessible areas. More particularly, such systems are primarily utilized in settings where a firm and stable surface is temporarily needed, such as industrial or construction areas. With respect to industrial or construction areas, temporary flooring may be utilized to provide walkways, driveways, parking areas or other rigid surfaces for the transport of materials, vehicles, storage or mounting of equipment. The modular nature of such flooring is utilized to adapt the flooring to the particular topographic or geographic needs of the particular site and to also allow for the efficient storage and transport of the modular flooring. In addition, the use of relatively small modular floor mats permits repairs and disposal of broken floor sections with relative ease.
In operation, the selection of the particular floor mat and its characteristics are primarily based upon the amount of load expected to be exerted on the modular flooring system, as well as the relative support characteristics of the underlying substrate be it concrete, artificial turf, grass, dirt, or the like. Heavy construction applications require mats with higher strength and resistance to cracking and breaking.
Once the particular floor tile is selected, a number of modular tiles typically having some type of interlock mechanism are applied to the surface and are generally laid in a sequential pattern, permitting the selective interlock of the various tiles and the placement of those tiles in a preplanned topographic design intended to permit the movement of materials, people, vehicles or the storage of the same in appropriate locations.
Traditional materials for the construction of temporary roadways or construction support surfaces included wood boards or planks. This method generally requires the use of a large number of boards attached with nails, screws, or bolts in a side-by-side manner. Positioning and removal of the planks is time consuming and labor intensive and may require cranes and other equipment. The wooden boards are also susceptible to cracking and warping due to the excessively heavy loads encountered in construction sites and environmental factors such as rain. Water may pass through the seams or spaces between the boards onto the surface below producing a muddy condition. The use of heavy equipment on mud causes damage to the subsurface as well as the equipment in use and can make a work area unsafe or unsanitary.
Other types of modular floor mats are typically constructed of plastic or other polymeric materials which permit relatively high-strength sections having relatively low weight, providing ease of storage and portability. One particular shortcoming of plastic and polymeric materials is the coefficient of thermal expansion, which is relatively high in practice. Changes in temperature of the underlying substrate material, sunlight, as well as the ambient air proximate to the modular floor system cause relatively significant changes in dimensionality of the floor tiles. While the dimensional changes in each individual tile are relatively small, over a large area with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of interlocked mats, the cumulative expansion or contraction of the entire flooring system causes significant problems with respect to maintenance of the floor, as well as the safety of the users. In practice, this expansion of the modular flooring system causes buckling, shifting and cracking of the floor tiles, potentially causing dangerous conditions which could cause vehicles to be diverted from their intended course over the surface of the modular floor. Sudden or large changes in temperature combined with large compressive forces from heavy machinery may cause cracking and separation of the tile itself in areas where separate sections of the tile are fused or joined.
In addition, the plastic and polymeric mat system may cause damage to the surface on which it is assembled, similar to that described above with reference to wooden mat systems. For instance, even short term placement of the panels on grass or turf may harm the surface due to decreased exposure to sunlight and ventilation. Human or industrial use of the temporary flooring may also expose the underlying surface to various substances which may be harmful, for instance gas or oil that leaks from heavy equipment.
Because of the high costs associated with industrial operations in remote areas, installation and removal of heavy duty modular floor mats must be accomplished quickly. As a result, the current ground protective surfaces are constructed to comprise a number of units that are connected together to provide a large area covering of desired size. The connectors are generally constructed of the same plastic, metal, or other polymeric material as is utilized with the panels and are connected directly to the panel itself. As a result, damage to one of the connector points on the panel necessitates the replacement of the entire panel, thus increasing the cost and time required for assembling the flooring system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,551 to Seaux describes a mat system comprised of two mirror-image components affixed together in an offset configuration to form a single mat. The mats are restrained from horizontal movement by frictional contact with the underlying terrain and mechanical contact with adjoining mats such that additional restraining means are not used.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,649,110, to Seaux, teaches a mold apparatus and a method of manufacturing floor mats comprising roughly continuous outer surfaces and an internal cellular structure.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,695,527 and 6,511,257 to Seaux et al. teach a reusable mat system for the construction of load bearing surfaces such as roadways. The mats are constructed of two minor-image half pieces which are joined together to form a complete single mat. Each half-piece comprises an outer skin and an inner cellular structure. The mirrored mats are provided with affixation mechanisms in the form of protruding bosses which are inserted into corresponding receptacles in the mirror mat. The mats are then secured together to form a unitary mat for interlocking with other, similar mats. Each assembled double mat is then interlocked with its neighboring mats through the use of reversible dowel pins. These pins are press fit into the interlocked mats.
There remains a need, therefore, in the art of modular flooring, for a modular flooring system containing mats which maintain high strength and durability for heavy loads along with consistent alignment and location of sections for the entirety of the modular floor over its length. There is a need for floor panels molded from a single piece of material and which contain no parts that will crack, break, shear or detach when subjected to heavy loads. There is a need for floor panels with high strength connectors which may be easily and economically engaged and disengaged, as well as replaced when damaged. There is a need for floor panels that are more easily aligned and connectable in the field.